I spent time in Chicago on a work contract so I could be closer to family in Iowa. After that contract I headed back west on a southern roadtrip to do my 5th travel contract! Of course I drove with all of my belongings, and I made some pretty cool stops along the way. I took the southern route to avoid most of the snowy weather going on during this time, so it was a change of scenery, too.

First, a quick stop in Iowa

Being so close to “home” of course I had to take a few days to see my family in Iowa before heading off for the next adventure. From there, I did a quick 4-5 hour jaunt down to St. Louis where I stayed one night. I have family there that I was able to stay with and grab dinner with, so that worked out well for me. The next day was a long drive already, so cutting a few hours off the 12 hours I was already doing made a huge difference. Plus, I was able to do breakfast with my family in Iowa before I left. These are the kind of things that are important when planning a long solo trip like this!

Since I stayed with family in St. Louis, I didn’t need a hotel, but if you are in the area, here are some great options!

St. Louis, MO to Amarillo, TX

The next morning was an early one as I packed my car back up and headed south. This was my longest day because I had stops planned for the next day (skip ahead if you want to see day 3). I didn’t make any stops this day because I was really just trying to get to Amarillo as quickly as I could. I listened to a lot of audio books and music and chatted with a few friends to pass the time.

You get used to your own company on long trips like this, it’s kind of nice. Most of this drive was on Historic Route 66, which is also cool and provides a lot of opportunities to see things if you have the time! I stayed at a La Quinta on the edge of the city so I could get a quick start the next day.

Amarillo, TX to Sedona, AZ

This was the fun part of the trip in my opinion. I woke up early to get a good start on the drive. I couldn’t believe how foggy it was- I couldn’t even see my car in the parking lot. After about an hour of driving it cleared up, but it was crazy!

I planned this day of driving with a stop in Albuquerque, NM. It felt like a southern roadtrip would’ve been lacking if I didn’t stop here. I wanted to do some cool hiking, so I found an easy trail not too far off my route. Albuquerque is so beautiful. I remember driving into the city one time right at sunset. It was amazing. Though it was mid-day, it was still pretty.

I drove to Piedras Marcadas Canyon, where there are tons of petroglyphs on the rocks. The trail was very easy, mostly sand, and marked with signs, arrows, and rope to keep you on the path. It was amazing to see some of history that I’ve never experienced before. Ancestors of modern day Pueblo people created these petroglyphs somewhere around the 1300’s.

After exploring and stretching my legs, I got back on the road and headed to Flagstaff. Unfortunately, I had to stop in Flagstaff to get a fit test done for my N-95 mask. My new job required an updated test, so that caused me to get to Sedona a few hours later than I had hoped.

The drive from Flagstaff to Sedona isn’t far, but it is so curvy, it takes a while to get down there. Plus, it was dark. Once I got to my hotel, the office was closed and my key was in a lock box with a note saying if I needed help to call the on-call person. I’d never seen anything like that when checking in somewhere, which kind of made it even more special. You can tell that Sedona is a very sleepy, relaxed town, surrounded by some of the prettiest scenery you could imagine.

Day 2 in Sedona

The next morning I woke to the most gorgeous view. I was up fairly early because there was a hike I wanted to do in Coconino National Forest. The hike started off interesting because the trail goes right along a new development being built. It wasn’t the most peaceful, but the surroundings were still amazing! After a bit, I came to the steeper climb into a subway tunnel. You have to climb up the sheer “ramp”, so I highly recommend having proper hiking boots for this! (See photo #5 below) Many people couldn’t manage it or were too nervous and turned around. I had no issues climbing it with my boots except that my legs are a bit short for certain areas on the “steps” on the left.

The subway tunnel is like nothing I’ve seen before! It was such a cool view. I would definitely encourage others to take this hike and spend some time sitting on the right side of the subway enjoying the view. I brought a snack along and recharged, chatting to a couple of other hikers while I was there. Depending on what you prefer, you may want a hike that has less people. If I am hiking alone, I usually look for a trail that is fairly busy so I don’t feel so alone. If something were to happen, I know someone would come along sooner rather than later.

After the hike, I stopped at Whole Foods for some snacks/lunch and went back to my hotel to rest. The view from my balcony was something I paid extra for at my hotel and did not regret one bit. I planned to spend some time resting here, so I knew I would be able to enjoy it. I spent that night in Sedona, got pizza from Pisa Lisa down the street from my hotel that evening, and got back on the road the next morning.

Sedona, AZ to Morgan Hill, CA

Another long day on the road. I got to climb back out of Sedona and up to Flagstaff to start the morning which was so gorgeous! There was a little bit of snow up north at this point, but nothing major luckily. I really just spend the long day listening to my audio book again, and since I got a pretty early start, I made it to Morgan Hill by 6 or 7 pm.

Not as many fun stops on the way this time due to Christmas time and wanting to make it to California before the holidays. Despite that, I had an a great time on the stops I did make. How would you make the most of a southern roadtrip? Let me know in the comments where to stop next time! If you want to see more on US roadtrips, go to the roadtrips page!